This Report - the outcome of a dedicated EUISS Task Force - seeks to decipher what kind of global actor we can expect China to be, given its growing international profile and ambitions. What do current trends indicate regarding the direction of its future foreign and security policy in Asia and beyond? And how can Europe engage with its Chinese partner while securing its own position and interests?

In the light of Japan’s recently unveiled National Security Strategy (NSS), this brief examines how the country’s security and defence policy is evolving in response to a changing security environment. The country’s new national security doctrine is driven by a strong perception of a shifting balance of power at the global level as well as an acute awareness of regional challenges and in particular the need to protect the nation’s maritime interests.